Tim Jankovich to discuss future at SMU soon, thankful for his team's effort in 2021-22
SMU head coach Tim Jankovich is entering the offseason without a contract in place to remain at the school, sources told On The Pony Express. When asked about his future as the coach of the Mustangs, he said he expects clarity on that soon.
Talks with the administration about his future or an extension were not held during the season, according to Jankovich. He opted to focus on his team that ended the season 24-9 overall in his sixth season as SMU coach.
“Obviously, not during the season, but I’m sure that we’ll sit down real soon and have those talks,” Tim Jankovich said in his postgame press conference. “I really don’t want to talk about that. What I want to talk about is because I think that’s not our eye on the ball. The ball was the players. Having our eye on the ball is those guys that are in there right now. We’ve got guys, their career’s done. I don’t want anything to be about me, to be honest with you.”
Jankovich stumped for SMU to make the NCAA Tournament after a second place regular season finish in the American Athletic Conference. A loss in the second round of the AAC Tournament ended those dreams.
With AAC Player of the Year Kendric Davis leading the charge, SMU made a push for a tournament bid. It fell short and Jankovich applauded his team’s effort down the stretch under the pressure. Losses in the nonconference hurt the team’s postseason hopes. It was a “Game 7” mentality for the team for almost all of league play.
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“I’m just proud of them. I can’t thank them enough,” Tim Jankovich said. “When you’re on the inside of it or if you’ve ever played a full season or coached it or whatever, it’s probably so much different than when you’re on the other side of it because you see first hand, front row seat of how difficult it is. When things are going well, let alone when there’s incredible adversity thrown upon guys.
“This team played under tremendous pressure for a long time down the stretch trying to earn the deserved place to get a bid to the tournament. We didn’t put it on the board, but we just said, ‘Hey, we’re all Game 7 now.’ That started a long time ago. These guys kept responding no matter how they felt.”
Tim Jankovich can’t pinpoint things he’d have done different
When asked to look back on the team, nothing came to mind for Jankovich at the moment as far as what could’ve been done different. It was a team of veteran newcomers that came together for a solid AAC regular season.
“There’s nothing on my mind, but there hasn’t been something on my mind all along going, wish we would’ve done that. When you’re in the heat of the season, there’s not much reflecting going on,” Jankovich said. “The clock’s ticking on the next game and the next practice and all those things. I don’t really have that right now, but it may come to me at some point.”
SMU’s season ended with a 75-63 loss to Washington State in the second round of the NIT.
